KISS: To See Or Not To See? (PHOTOS)

They were my first favorite band, but they're a shell of what they once were. Ace Frehley and Peter Criss are long gone, and two imposters are wearing the "Spaceman" and "Catman" makeup. Seeing a 64 year old Paul Stanley and his hairy chest isn't necessarily on my bucket list. And finally, Gene Simmons and his once lean, mean "Demon" persona has turned into a pudgy 66 year old lacking any level of ferocity and menace. So I'm left with this question... do I buy tickets to see KISS in concert one last time? They're coming to Moline August 5th.

I was turned on to KISS when I was around 8 years old. My older sister was in high school at the time. Her boyfriend, Jeff was a huge KISS fan, and he's the one that got me started on them. It was right around the Animalize/Asylum era of the mid-1980's. Those are two pretty weak albums... deep down, I probably knew that at age 8. I was more interested in their past. 70's-era KISS - behind all the glitz, glam, tounge-wagging, blood-spewing and pyrotechnics - made really good rock music. I still consider KISS (1974), Hotter Than Hell (1974), Destroyer (1976), Rock And Roll Over (1976) and Love Gun (1977) really solid albums.

I've seen KISS live several times.  My first concert ever was when I was 13, seeing them at the Five Seasons Center (now the US Cellular Center) in Cedar Rapids during the Hot in the Shade Tour (May 23, 1990).  It's now 26 years after that first KISS experience. Hell, we're even 15 years beyond their supposed Farewell Tour of 2000/2001. That was the last time I saw them live.  Personally, I think that's when they should've hung it up.

So, do I need to see them live one last time? I personally would be fine without ever seeing Eric Singer in Peter's make-up and Tommy Thayer in Ace's. But there's still Paul and Gene. There's still some tunes that I've had knocking around my head for most of my life. And a KISS concert is always a spectacle. If I do decide to go, it will be with pretty low expectations. If I'm at the iWireless Center on August 5th, I'll just be saying to myself: "Let's hear some rock music and see some explosions."

Check out Bill's 2014 blog about KISS and their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction here

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